


If The Shoe Fits

by UltravioletSunshine



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, M/M, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:46:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29711133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltravioletSunshine/pseuds/UltravioletSunshine
Summary: A rough retelling of Cinderella because George may not have gotten his happy ending in Bahrain but he's getting it here.George closed his eyes, breathing in one last time, making a mental list of the things he needs to do today: feed the chickens, milk the cows, make breakfast and tea for his lovely family, and clean the entire house with a toothbrush. Have courage and be kind. Easier said than done.
Relationships: Alexander Albon/Lando Norris/George Russell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	If The Shoe Fits

**Author's Note:**

> So basically I was going to give George his happy ending no matter what and this happened. This is a mixture of all the versions of Cinderella but specifically the 2015 version but in all honesty, I wrote most of this off memory and modified it for 3 people so just go with it. Friendly reminder that if you don't like what I write to just exit the page and go about your day. I do this for free and it's called fiction for a reason. Shout out to everyone who helped me with this, y'all are amazing and I love you all so much! This took forever for me to complete but I love it so much and I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> Also please read the tags! This is a retelling of Cinderella and some parts can be seen as abuse and can be triggering so please just be careful.

George woke up to sunlight streaming through the cracked window in the kitchen and the sound of birds chirping. He laid there on the mess of old blankets that make his bed at the base of the fireplace blinking sleep out of his eyes. He breathed in deeply, remembering what his mother said to him all those years ago, have courage and be kind. He would be kind despite the fact that he was covered in soot sleeping on the cold hard ground. Despite the fact that he took care of the farm while his horrible step-father and step-brothers sleep the day away. He would be kind despite his family treating him so poorly. George closed his eyes, breathing in one last time, making a mental list of the things he needs to do today: feed the chickens, milk the cows, make breakfast and tea for his lovely family, and clean the entire house with a toothbrush. Have courage and be kind. Easier said than done.

The one bright side to getting up at the crack of dawn is the rest of his family was still asleep and couldn't bother him. George could sing to himself and enjoy the peace and quiet without the sound of his horrible family screeching their way through lessons or trying to pull each other's hair out over who gets to marry the prince and whatever other arguments they are having. Instead, he gets to enjoy the sunshine and his animals unbothered, and if he's lucky, Lando will come by on his way into town and cause some havoc to make him smile.

Lando always caused mischief ever since they were children running around his mother's garden. He was always laughing and singing along with the birds trying not to trample Claire's flowers but somehow ended up covered in mud despite his best efforts. But that was when they were kids, and George's mother was still around to kiss bumps after they fell and would wipe Lando's face and hands clean before sending him back home with a tin of cookies for the Norris family. Lando saw Claire as his second mother, and Claire always treated Lando like a second son, keeping him and George out of trouble when the two took things too far. But that was then, and this is now. 

Gone are the days of running around barefoot in the garden chasing Lando and dreaming of what their future would hold. Lando would be a businessman, inheriting his father's company, and George would be an author. 

Now they live in a reality where Lando is still a businessman set to inherit his father's company, but instead of an author, George is an orphan living with people who hate him and may never get away from those who ruined his life. 

Before he can get too upset, however, he hears a familiar tune being whistled. Lando. George is quick to return the whistle letting his friend know he's out in the barn and it's safe for Lando to hop the fence. While he waits for Lando to make his way to him, George whistles to the birds, continuing his routine of saying good morning to all the animals. While feeding the cows, he hears the telltale sound of feet hitting the ground, and soon enough, his best friend is in the barn smiling at George. Just like that, his shoulders drop the tension they were holding, and he feels lighter just like every other time Lando is around. It's hard to feel self-conscious about how he looks, covered in soot and dirty clothes, when Lando is looking at him like that. Like he's worth gold. Worthy of love and affection. Lando is warm and kind, just like when they were kids. Even though he's swapped his play clothes for a grey suit and his beat-up shoes for polished ones. He's still the same Lando. George's Lando. 

"Hey, George! Are you okay? You were spacing out for a second there," George blinks while Lando looks at him with concern. His smile is smaller but still there. 

"Yeah, sorry, just lost in thought," He says quickly, not wanting to think too much about what he was getting into with that last thought. 

"If you say so," Lando says, shrugging his shoulders. He then bends down to pick up the bucket of chicken feed. Even though George has told him again and again that Lando doesn't need to help him, that he'll ruin his nice clothes, Lando just brushes him off and flashes that smile. The smile saved just for George. The smile that George can't argue with and accepts the help.

"Come on, George," Lando yells from the entrance of the barn, "If we hurry up, you can read to me under the tree."

"Finish with the chickens, will you? I have to milk the cows, and then we can read," George replies, smiling back at Lando. 

"Will do! And say hello to Daniel and the others for me!" Lando smiles and is gone. 

Reading under the tree with Lando was the only thing that was keeping him going some days. Lando was the reason he was still around. After his mother died, the Norris family offered to help George, knowing how horrible Helmut was, but George declined. Four kids were enough, and George didn't want to be a burden. So he stayed. He just needed to save enough money, and then he'd be gone. He's so lost in thought he almost sets his bucket right on top of his friend. 

"Oh! Hello Daniel, sorry I didn't see you there." George kneels down so he can pick up his mouse friend. Daniel squeaked and nibbled on his finger as a hello. 

"Where are the others?" He asks, holding Daniel in his hands. Just as the words left his mouth, he could see Charles and Pierre scurrying across one of the barn beams. 

"Good morning, you two," George sets Daniel on his shoulder so he can pick up the bucket. He really needs to milk the cows if he wants to have time to read with Lando. He walks over to the cows and begins milking them, Daniel leaving his shoulder but staying close. George always had a love of animals, and they always seemed to love him back. Daniel, Charles, and Pierre have been with him for years and have kept him company when Lando isn't there.

George continues working quickly, wanting to have as much time with Lando as possible before he was needed inside. His mornings were his own and some of the only time he was outside while the sun was out. He wanted to make sure he and Lando could at least finish the chapter they were reading before real life called. 

"George, are you done? I'm finished out here," Lando says, coming inside the barn with the empty bucket used for chicken feed. 

"Yep, I'm finishing up now. I just have to bring this inside and grab the book. Will you get the blanket for me, please?" George asks, grabbing the milk already heading towards the entrance of the barn, not waiting for Lando's response. They have a routine. George drops the milk off inside and grabs the book while Lando gets the blanket for them to lay on. George asks anyway just to make sure Lando still has time, even though George knows Lando would still listen to him read even if he had to be in town. He loves it just as much as George does. It reminds them of their childhood, when the world seemed bigger but at their fingertips. It takes them away from the reality of their adult lives, and they can still act like kids without the weight of running a household or a company. 

When George comes back outside having swapped the bucket of milk for a battered copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ , Lando is waiting, blanket in hand, for him. He's kneeling on the ground, getting his nice grey suit covered in dirt and grime from the farm, but the wide smile stretched across his face reminds George that he doesn't care, and Lando will always feel more at home at the farm than in his stuffy office and too tight suit. Lando is talking quietly to the three mice, not having noticed George has come out yet, so George takes a moment to just look at Lando. The sun makes his eyes look extra beautiful, blue with flecks of green mixed in so it looks like stained glass. His once clean hair has some dust in it from messing around with the chickens. Gorgeous. Lando looks up and gives him a small smile, and his eyes shine. George knows he probably looks stupid, leaning against the doorframe holding his book close to his chest and a soft look on his face. Lando looked beautiful, covered in mud or a three-piece suit. It wasn't fair for anyone to look that good, but here he was, and George's heart aches. 

He clears his throat, pushing aside his feelings he still isn't sure about, and asks, "Are you ready?" Lando nods, wiping his hands on his pants getting up slowly. He extends his hand to George, and Geroge takes it, just like always. He laces their fingers together, and they head to the tree in the field his mother used to read to them under. They hop the fence, and Lando swings their hands between them as they walk to the old tree. 

Once there, Lando spread the blanket out under the tree and took off his suit jacket, rolling up his shirt sleeves. Meanwhile, George sits down with his back pressed against the tree, and his legs stretched out in front of him. Lando lays his head in George's lap while George flips through the book to find their place. Once he finds the page they were on, he brushes his fingers through Lando's hair and begins reading softly. 

George reads quietly for a little while, taking care to leave enough time for Lando to head to town and for George to fix breakfast for Helmut and his step-brothers. It was times like this he felt peace. Just him and Lando. His feelings for his friend were all over the place at the moment; not sure if what he feels for Lando is romantic love or just friendship. He felt different with Lando, always had. They had a connection even when they were kids running around. It felt natural to have him by his side, and George wanted to stay with him forever. It was comfortable, easy and Lando made him feel special. He felt seen and heard. He stopped reading and looked down at Lando, his fingers still running through his curls. Lando opens his eyes and just smiles at George.

"Is it time to go already?" He asks, not moving from his position on George. 

"Yeah, I have to go make tea for them, and you have a meeting I'm sure you're late for," George replies, causing Lando to laugh. 

"I don't care about meeting George; I'd rather stay here with you," Lando says, still not moving. Lando reaches his hand up and cradles George's cheek so gently that his eyes flutter shut for a moment relaxing into the touch. When he opens them again, Lando isn't smiling. His eyes are wide and nervous as they dart from George's lips back up to his eyes. Before anything can happen, a bird chirps in the quiet morning air startling the pair. 

"I'd better go. I'll see you tomorrow George," Lando picks up his jacket and starts walking towards the road, leaving George sitting under the tree book in hand, wondering if he was really about to kiss his best friend. George decides that's a problem for later and picks up the blanket. He has breakfast to make. 

Cooking gives him something to do while avoiding his feelings. He boils water for the tea and listens for any sounds from upstairs. He makes his own breakfast and then eats it while cooking for his family. The tea kettle starts whistling when he hears ringing. The annoying bell that so kindly tells him Helmut is awake. 

George carefully places the tea and plate of food on a tray and begins his climb up the stairs to face hell in human form. Have courage and be kind. His mother would always tell that to him when he was little, reminding him to help others whenever possible because everyone deserves to be treated with kindness. Helmut sure as fuck didn't deserve his kindness, but he won't have it kicked out of him and call it strength. He would keep his kind heart for his mother, and more importantly, for himself. If he allowed himself to turn bitter, he would be only slightly better than his step-family from hell. So when George got to Helmut's door, he took a deep breath, have courage and be kind, and knocked.

Helmut is sitting up in bed when George walks into the room. He sets the tray down on the table next to the door and heads over to pull the curtains apart. The sunlight is blinding, and George blinks a few times, adjusting to the light. He brings the tray over to Helmut feeling his beady eyes follow his every movement, just looking for something to comment on. George places the tray next to Helmut, and as he pulls away, his wrist is caught in Helmut's tight grip. George calmly looks at Helmut. Have courage, George, he thinks; Helmut is nothing more than a bag of bones held together by spite and bitterness. 

"That boy of yours better not be coming around George. You know I don't like him." Helmut says, looking directly into George's eyes. 

"I know, sir. He doesn't come around anymore. I told him not to, just like you asked," George says, looking back at Helmut. Helmut leans back against the pillows releasing George's wrist moving to take the teacup on the tray. 

"Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?" George asks, remaining calm. Helmut just waves his hand, dismissing George, but just as his fingertips brush the door handle, he hears, "It would be a shame if something happened to that boy."

George felt his body tense at the threat to Lando but willed it away. He pushed the door open and made his way back to the kitchen before crying. 

George cried while washing dishes from breakfast. It wasn't the first time Helmut threatened Lando, but it felt different this time. He had told Lando to stay away right after his mom died, but Lando refused to leave him. George thought they had been careful, that Helmut didn't know, but of course, he did, and now he would take the one good thing in George's awful life away from him. He pushed all that aside and began on Christian and Mattia's breakfast as they would be awake soon. 

By the time the boys were in the dining room, George had finished cooking, washing the dishes, and his face was no longer red from crying. He placed the food in front of the boys as they continued talking as if he wasn't there. George liked it that way though, he wasn't forbidden from leaving the farm, but with the amount of work that he had to do, he often didn't have time to go to town. When he did have time, it was often with Helmut or on an errand for him, so he had to hurry back, so hearing the boys talk about the town was some of the only insight he had about what was happening in the kingdom. 

"Rumor has it that King Lewis is going to throw a ball so the prince can find a partner," Christian says, taking a sip of his tea.

"And they're saying all the eligible elite are invited. I'm going to marry the prince," Mattia says, waving his hands around, knocking over his glass. 

"GEORGE!" He yelled, "come clean this mess up!" George bent down to pick up the shards of glass, careful not to cut himself when he felt something drop on him. A fork. 

"Oops, be a dear and get me a new one, will you?" Mattia asks with a fake smile plastered on his face. George nods, carrying the glass shards and the fork.

"Oh, and George, if you listen to our conversation again, well, let's just say I hope it's warm outside in the barn." George leaves the room with the boys' laughter echoing down the hall. Once back in the kitchen, he drops the glass in the garbage and the fork in the sink. His knuckles turn white as he holds the edge of the sink, looking out the cracked window to the farm. This morning seems so far away, and George wants nothing more than to wake up and this hell to just be a nightmare. He forces himself not to cry. No more tears over their harsh words and threats. He pushes away from the sink and grabs his bucket and mop. Fuck them. He has work to do. 

It's hours later when he hears them again. They're doing their lessons, Christian on the piano and Mattia singing. They're both so bad it makes George flinch at the thought of Christian ruining his mother's prized possession, and Mattia's singing is enough to scare the animals away. George keeps his head down and continues scrubbing the floor, hoping to stay invisible for a little while longer. If the boys were doing lessons, that meant Helmut had emerged from his room, and George really didn't need more chores to do. He always found something else for George to clean or sew when the boys did worse than normal with their lessons. George kept scrubbing and wincing as the boys stumbled their way through lessons until he heard Helmut slam the piano's fallboard. The house went silent; even the boys know not to mess with Helmut when he gets like this. George grabs his bucket and rags and just hopes he can escape to the kitchen before Helmut sees him. He's just about to make it to the doorway when his name rings out from across the house.

Fuck. 

He takes a deep breath and turns around; Helmut is there in the doorway. He walks over to where George is standing. George can see the fury in his eyes as his bucket is ripped out of his hands, thrown across the entryway, and hits the front door. George does his best to not flinch, but it's hard to stand tall when Helmut is looking at him like that breathing heavily. 

"Clean this fucking mess, and don't make me ask again; we have guests coming," George nods, and Helmut walks away, kicking the bucket that rolled from where it was thrown. He stays where he is back pressed against the wall until he hears Helmut's door slam shut. He flinches at the sound and releases the breath he has been holding. The house is still silent, not wanting to piss off Helmut further. George finishes cleaning up the water all over the floor from when Helmut threw his bucket and hides in the kitchen, remaining as quiet as possible. The only thing worse than regular Helmut was angry Helmut. 

The next morning George woke up anxious. Helmut mentioned that they were having guests over today, but he didn't say what time. He was also worried that Helmut's bad mood from yesterday would spill over to today. George sat by the fireplace holding tight to one of the tattered blankets, have courage and be kind; he would need his courage today.

The sun seemed to be cautious about the day, too, as it was covered by the clouds. George worked quickly in the barn, not wanting to miss Helmut calling him. He just wanted today to be over, and it had hardly begun. 

He was milking the cows when he saw Daniel, Pierre, and Charles. "Good morning, you three," He speaks quietly to them. He looks to the entrance of the barn, usually, Lando was here by now. He hasn't even heard his whistle indicating he was by the fence. While George was disappointed Lando wasn't there, he was also glad. After their almost kiss and then Helmut's temper, not to mention his threat to Lando, George wanted some space to not just keep Lando safe but also think about their relationship. He starts crying at the thought of losing his best friend. Lando was his rock, his person, and one of his main reasons to smile. He can't stand the thought of losing him, of him not being around anymore. He feels the mice climbing up his legs as he sits crying in the middle of the barn, bucket of milk by his side. 

He's quick to push off the ground and wipe away his tears. He has chickens to feed, and now is not the time to break down. He feeds the chickens and heads inside, trying not to think about how wrong it feels without Lando by his side. Once inside, he does some last-minute cleaning and pulls out the good tea set, the one his mother saved for special occasions. He still had time before Helmut woke up, so George made his way up to his room. The attic. His old room was given to Christian after Claire died, and he was forced into the attic. It was cold and drafty to the point he couldn't sleep up there unless it was summertime, but it's where he keeps his possession and is far away from evil step-fathers and horrible step-brothers.

It's dark in the room, and when he pushes the shutters open, he hears a familiar tune, but it's not Lando. It's Kevin and Romain. The birds chirp a hello, and George whistles back a soft tune before turning his focus back on cleaning the soot off and finding clean clothes before he is needed downstairs again. After washing his hair, he looks into the old cracked mirror leaning against one of the walls. It's weird seeing himself all cleaned up. Usually, when he sees his reflection, it's in the pots and pans he scrubbed clean while he's covered in dust. He turns away from the mirror before he thinks about what could have been. 

He walks over to the window and opens it, feeling the crisp autumn air in his face biting his nose. The sun has come out, and he closes his eyes as he lets the warmth of the sun sink into his bones as the cool wind ruffles his hair. From up here, he could see the entire farm and forest around him. He could see King Lewis's castle in the distance, and he just breathed. Have courage and be kind. He finds his courage and clings tight to his kindness, remembering his promise to his mother. His kindness was his strength, and hate would have no home in his heart no matter what life threw at him. He breathed in deep one last time, filling his lungs with the cool morning air, and shut the window.

Back downstairs in the kitchen, he fixes breakfast for everyone and begins making cookies for when the guest comes over. He sets the table for the three of them and goes back to cleaning the house. By the time he had dusted the house, all three family members had emerged and were eating. He stands in the hallway near the door so he can be there quickly but not in the way. He doesn't want to make Helmut any angrier. 

"George," Helmut says from his place at the head of the table. George walks in and looks around, seeing if there was something on the ground he needed to pick up. When he doesn't see anything on the floor, he turns to Helmut. The man looks him up and down, taking in his appearance. 

"The guest will be here at two this afternoon. Have the tea set out and stay in the kitchen unless I tell you to come out," Helmut says, still looking at him over the rim of his teacup. George nods and leaves the room, hearing the boys laugh as he walks past. 

George is mending socks when he hears a commotion upstairs. It's after two, so it must involve whoever Helmut had invited over, probably a prospect for one of the boys to marry. The shouting is from Helmut, but it's not directed at George, so he stays put, not wanting to be dragged into something he isn't a part of. He then hears it—the sound of shattering porcelain. Seconds later, he hears the slam of a door and his name shouted by Helmut's booming voice.

George wastes no time grabbing his cleaning supplies and all but running to the room Helmut was in. The room was a disaster. Tea was all over the table, dripping onto the floor, cookie crumbs mashed into the carpet, and his mother's tea set destroyed. Helmut was pacing the room surrounded by the broken tea set, and George had never seen him so angry before. Before George even had the opportunity to begin cleaning, Helmut turned on his heel and pushed him against the wall.

"This is all your fucking fault, you ungrateful piece of shit!" Hemet's face was red, and he was breathing heavily, "You're worthless just like that bitch you called a mom! I will ruin your life, you fucking brat, and that annoying ass boy who you keep around! You are a waste of space, a disgrace, a useless piece of shit that I only keep around because I had to!"

George stands there frozen in fear, hardly listening to what Helmut is saying. The arm across his neck is not cutting off his air but holding him in place as Helmut spits out how George is useless, a waste of space. The vein in Helmut's neck is bulging, and if George was actually concerned about Helmut, he would have told him to calm down before his heart gives out. But he just called Claire a bitch and threatened Lando, so George stopped listening and is just waiting for this to be over. He has no more courage, no more strength. All George wants right now is his mom. He wants Claire to hold him in her arms and press kisses to his forehead while running her fingers through his hair, telling him everything will be alright. But his mom was not here. Lando isn't here. But George is still here. He's still here standing tall despite Helmut's best efforts. So when Helmut lets him go just for a second, George runs. 

George runs through the house to the back door leading to the farm. He runs through the fields, jumps the fence, and continues running until his lungs are burning and his legs are numb. He doesn't even look where he's going, just runs and runs and runs. He runs until he can't hear Helmut's voice and his words are not bouncing around his head instead blocked out by the pounding of blood in his ears. Eventually, his legs give out, and he falls to the ground, but he doesn't cry. 

George sits with his back to a tree, head in between his legs, breathing hard. The blood was still pounding in his ears which is his excuse for not hearing or seeing the figure in front of him until a hand was on his arm. The touch was gentle, but George startles anyway, still thinking about what happened that afternoon. George knows he must look like a mess, wide, terrified eyes, sweaty from running, and chest heaving, not to mention George ruined his one nice set of clothes tearing through the trees and fields. The boy pulls his hand back and raises them in the air showing he means no harm, but George still looks around. He knew Helmut couldn't follow him, but George was still wary. 

"Hey, it's okay. My name is Alex. I just wanted to make sure you were alright," the boy, Alex, spoke in a soft voice. George immediately relaxed, something he never does without Lando. But Alex, Alex was gentle and sweet and was concerned about George. 

"Yeah, sorry, I'm alright, don't worry about me," George replied. Then after a second, he continues, "I'm George." 

Alex smiles softly and moves to stand up instead of crouching in front of George. He then holds out a hand to George, helping him stand up. Alex's hand is warm and soft, and George melts. Alex starts to say something, but the sound of a horn drowns him out, and George jumps a little bit, standing closer to Alex. "I was just saying you need to be careful out here; the castle hunting party is out right now," Alex says, wrapping an arm around George pulling him closer to his side. 

"Are you with them? Do you work in the castle?" George asks before he can stop himself, wanting to know more about this mysterious and kind stranger. 

Alex blushes and nods, "I work in the castle, yes," and George's eyes light up, completely fascinated. "What do you do there?" he asks. 

Alex bites his lip blush still high on his cheeks, "I'm an apprentice." 

"An apprentice! How exciting, I always wondered what it was like working in the castle instead of out here," George says, a little confused as to why he's telling Alex this. He just met Alex, but George feels comfortable around him. He feels safe. Nobody but Lando has felt safe since his mother died. But Alex, Alex feels different. 

"What do you do out here?" Alex asks, cutting off George's train of thought. George looks away from Alex to the ground. For one blissful second, he forgot why he was out there in the first place. 

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you upset. Do they not treat you well?" and there goes sweet Alex again, making George's heart beat just a little faster. 

George smiles and looks back at Alex, "I work on a farm out here, and well, they could treat me better."

They hear the royal hunting party's horn again, causing George to break eye contact and take a step back from Alex. He was an apprentice for the royal household, and George was just a farmhand and servant; he wasn't worthy to be around him. Just like Lando, Alex was shiny glass, and George would ruin him by placing his dirty fingertips on him.

"You should get going; they're probably looking for you," George says, moving further from Alex. 

"Wait, let me at least walk you back home. I want to make sure you get home safely. Please," Alex asks, stepping closer to George, but George keeps backing away, remembering what Helmut said. George wasn't worthy of Alex or Lando. He would get them hurt and dirty, and they were pure and good. George tried hard to have courage and be kind, and the kindest thing he can do right now is back away and never see Lando or Alex again. 

Alex was reaching towards him, but just then, a few soldiers on horses came into view, and while Alex was distracted, George did the one thing he was good at. He ran. 

George could hear Alex calling his name and the subsequent sound of him arguing with the riders, but George just kept moving. Eventually, his running turns into walking; once he gets far enough away, he's sure Alex won't be following him. He knows he needs to figure out where he is and where to go. He can't go home yet, he isn't sure what his punishment will be, but whatever it is, it won't be good. He could go to town and see Lando, but he shouldn't. Lando is at work, and they still haven't spoken about their almost kiss. 

George continues walking around the woods, thoughts drifting from Alex to Lando and back again. How unusual it was for him to immediately feel safe and warm with Alex. How he wanted to know more about him and tell him about his life as well. He thought about the butterflies in his stomach that both of them caused, but that just made him more confused. Lando was more than just his best friend; he was his safety net. Before meeting Alex, George was sure the feelings he had for Lando were just because Lando was his best friend. He knew everything about George and never ran; he stayed, so it was only natural to feel something for him other than platonic feelings. But with Alex, there was no denying that he felt something for him. He felt the same feelings with Alex and Lando, and there's no way to see those feelings as the result of years of friendship. 

What a way to have a revelation, he thinks. Wandering around the fucking woods and meeting a stranger makes him come to the realization that he has romantic feelings for two beautiful boys with hearts of gold. Way to fucking go, George. 

Eventually, he finds his way out of the forest and into town. It was dark by then, and George was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He made his way to the building where Lando works, not caring about the consequences. He needs his best friend; he needs his person, his sunshine. 

The door feels so heavy when he pushes it open, and immediately he is wrapped in Lando's arms. They stand there in the middle of the doorway, clinging to each other. Lando guides him to a chair and holds George so tight as he bushes away his tears. The next thing George knows he's spilling everything to Lando. What happened with Helmut since their almost kiss and how he met Alex. He tells Lando how much he means to him and how he's not good enough for him because Lando is gold and George is broken and dirty. 

But then Lando's fingertips are on his chin, making George look up at him, effectively cutting him off mid-sentence. He can count the freckles on his face and see every fleck of color in his stained glass eyes. Lando leans in just like that morning, but this time nothing stops them, and they fall together. Lando's lips are soft, and they fit just right against George's. He pays no attention to his tears' salty taste or how gross he feels from being outside most of the day. No, all George pays attention to is Lando. Gentle, smiley, happy Lando who makes his sky turn from grey to blue. He can feel Lando begin to smile, and George starts smiling too. They break the kiss smiling and giggling. Lando looks into his eyes, his shining so bright it could put the sun to shame, but then it dims.

"What about the boy you met in the woods? Alex?" Lando asks cautiously. George blinks a few times, remembering that he did tell Lando about Alex and his feelings. He told Lando, the boy he was just kissed, that he also had feelings for someone else. Fuck. Lando looks small, pulling away from George and wrapping his arms around himself to protect himself. Because George hurt him. He did the one thing he promised he wouldn't. Stupid, useless, unworthy George just destroyed the one good thing in his life. 

"Lando I-" he cuts himself off, not knowing what to say. Lando kissed him first after he heard George talk about Alex, "Why do you ask about Alex? You're the one who kissed me?" Why the fuck did he say that? 

Lando looks horrified, standing up from the chair and turning his back to George. His shoulders shake as Lando silently cries, and George once again does his finest move and runs. He gets up quietly and leaves the building. Leaves Lando crying because this is all George's fault. 

George somehow manages to get back one in one piece. The moon is high in the sky, and George just hopes Helmut has gone to sleep. He doesn't know if he has the ability to do what Helmut asks of him, he's so tired and wants to cry until the world stops hurting. He has no more courage, and after what he did to Lando, he is well aware he isn't kind. All the lights are off, and the house is silent, but George doesn't take any chances. He moves silently through the house, checking for Helmut, but he doesn't see him. George does see the absolute nightmare that is their house. It looks like after he left Helmut, he took his anger out on the house. Plates are smashed in the kitchen, paintings are torn and strewn around the hallway. Curtains are ripped, and clothes are in tatters as well. 

George finds a broom and begins sweeping up the debris. He can't sleep, and maybe if he cleans the house, Helmut will be kinder with his punishment. So George spends the whole night moving silently through the house, picking his way through the mess and putting everything back together. He cleans his mother's broken tea set, mends the curtains, picks all the crumbs out of the carpet. By the time he is done, the sun is rising, and George has to go and tend to the farm. 

Feeding the chickens and milking the cows brings his mind back to Lando and how he treated him. Helmut's words had never affected him before, but this time all he can hear is you're a worthless piece of shit. Daniel, Charles, and Pierre all come down to see him in the barn. He picks them up and holds them close to his chest. Knowing these three little mice became his only source of comfort breaks his heart, but he knows it's his fault. If he hadn't messed up with Lando, he wouldn't be here sitting on the floor of the barn sobbing, holding mice like a lifeline. He looks out one of the windows and sees the sun higher in the sky and knows he has to find his courage to go inside and face Helmut. He doesn't see the castle from here, but he thinks of Alex anyway. George hopes he's happy and hangs onto the fact that George didn't ruin Alex like he did Lando.

The house is still quiet, but he makes tea and breakfast anyway, knowing the sooner he faces Helmut's wrath, the better. He gathers the mail before making his way upstairs, breathing deeply, trying to control his heartbeat. He knocks once, then enters, placing the tray by his bed and opens the curtains. He has just turned around to face Helmut when he is pushed out of the way and sees Helmut holding a piece of mail while yelling for his boys. 

Helmut yelling, "George get over here now!" is enough to knock his senses back in place, and he goes out to the hallway, hearing both Christian and Mattia yelling as well. They were digging through piles of clothes while saying they needed new ones because everything they owned was out of style. 

Helmut then slammed his hand against the wall, yelling, "ENOUGH!" All three of the boys froze where they were waiting to see what Helmut would do next. "Mattia, Christian, I will go to the tailor and get her to make you each something. I need both of you to look your best for either of you to stand a chance with the prince," he spoke calmly. George still didn't know what was going on, but he kept his mouth shut. Helmut then turned to George, "I don't have time to deal with you right now," and turned back to his room to get ready to head to town. 

The boys both spoke to each other at a much lower volume as they went back to their rooms to get dressed as well, carelessly leaving the piece of mail Helmut had been holding on the floor of the hallway. George picked it up along with the laundry tucking it under a shirt, so they didn't see him take it. He carried it back to the kitchen before taking a look at it. 

It was an invitation. An invitation to a royal ball at the palace! King Lewis is throwing a ball for the prince to find a spouse! All eligible damsels are invited! George is a damsel, and while he has no desire to meet or marry the prince, he may be able to see Alex again. But then his heart drops. There is no way Helmut would let him go, especially after yesterday, and it's probably for the best. If he never sees Alex again, he won't hurt him. He thinks of his mother and how he has failed her. He tried so hard to be kind, but he keeps messing up. He still has his courage, but he's afraid he lost his kind heart, the one promise he made not just to Clarie but to himself as well, never to lose his kindness. But he did. 

George kept to himself the rest of the day doing his normal chores, trying to not draw any more attention to himself. He knows Helmut has something planned; he just doesn't know what yet. So George keeps scrubbing the floor till his knuckles are raw, and he's swaying dangerously from the lack of food and sleep. Helmut finally comes up to him after George has finished for the day and wants nothing more than to fall asleep in front of the dying embers of the fire that will cover him in soot. As much as he hates it, he doesn't have the energy to climb all the stairs to his bedroom. 

"George," Helmut says eerily calm, "I need you to do some things for me tomorrow on top of your normal chores." George nods, bracing himself for whatever is to come. 

"I need you to clean out each fireplace and scrub them down completely; they are all covered in dust and soot, and don't forget to use a toothbrush to get all the cracks. Then I need you to take down all the curtains, wash them, iron them, and put them back up. I also need you to polish all the fine china, every single piece," Helmut stayed calm the entire time, and once he finished, George could see his slimy smirk curl upon his face. George just nods and looks to the floor and reminds himself it could have been worse. He's beginning to summon his courage to ask Helmut if he can go to the ball, that he won't get in Mattia or Christian's way when Helmut does something unexpected. 

Just as Helmut reaches the stairs, he turns back and says, "Oh and George, I'm sure you've figured out that King Lewis is hosting a ball tomorrow evening, and because you are a damsel, you are invited." George's head snaps up, unsure where Helmut is going with this, "I'll make you a deal, George because I am so generous. If you get all your regular work done and my list I just gave you as well as finding something suitable to wear, I'll allow you to attend the ball." Helmut doesn't wait for George to respond; he just continues walking up the stairs paying no attention to him. 

George stood there in the middle of the hallway, still processing what Helmut said to him. There must be a catch; he was too kind for how George acted yesterday, and Helmut was never kind. But George would deal with that a different time; for now, he would think about what might happen if he does go to the ball. George may have lost his best friend and his kindness, but he would not lose his positivity. 

He rushed up the stairs to his bedroom feeling more awake than he had in hours. He knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, but he wanted to find something to wear. After his mom died and Helmut forced him to move up into the attic along with all his possessions as well as his mother's. Once upstairs, he went to the trunk he kept his mother's things in, looking for something suitable to wear. He knew he didn't have anything of his own, still wearing his one good piece of clothing that has been trashed from the events of the last two days. He finds a dress at the bottom of the trunk. It's a soft pale pink and a little outdated, but George is confident he can make some adjustments. 

He digs around the room for an old sewing book and some threads and needles. George knows he has to go to bed soon, having been awake for over 24 hours, but he needs to do the dress tonight because he won't have time in the morning. He takes his gathered materials and sits on his bed, beginning to work, stifling a yawn. He must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing he knows, Kevin and Romain are chirping loudly in his ear, trying to wake him up. 

George forgets all about the dress and rushes downstairs to start the day. He runs around the farm, trying to get things done as quickly as he can. It would be easier if Lando was here, he thinks. He stops in the middle of feeding the chickens, feeling his heart ache at the loss of his best friend and the worst part is George isn't sure how to fix it if he can fix it. George continues his day using his chores as a way to stop thinking about Lando. He thinks about Alex, but that always brings him back to Lando. How he went from having mixed feelings for Lando not wanting to make a move in fear of losing him to finding another boy in the woods who makes his heart beat just as fast as Lando does is still a mystery. Without meeting Alex, George isn't sure he ever would have realized he liked Lando in that way, but the result was messy. Now George likes both Alex and Lando. He thinks about the two of them and how Lando would probably love Alex. Alex was so sweet and had a beautiful smile. He offered to walk George home so he would feel safe. Alex would probably think Lando is a little chaotic, but he has a good heart and is always willing to help George. 

He shakes his head and focuses on polishing the tiny teacup in his hand. No more thoughts of Lando or Alex. Helmut's cruel words coming back to taunt him. Reminding him that he wasn't good enough for them. Two boys with hearts of gold didn't need George around. 

By the time he finished polishing the china and finished putting the curtains back up, the boys are calling him to help them get ready. They are both fighting over who gets to marry the prince when George arrives. 

Christian is the first to notice him, "George, I need you to help me!" Then, Christian throws the ugliest piece of fabric George has ever seen at his head, but George catches it with ease. The dress is yellow and blue and covered in flowers, but Christian keeps telling him over and over how it's the most beautiful dress and how the prince will surely fall in love with him immediately. Mattia just rolls his eyes, still working on his hair. Once he finishes with Christian, he starts helping Mattia into his bright pink suit. Just like Christian's dress, his suit is covered in flowers and hurts George's eyes. They both keep talking like George isn't there. At one point, Mattia even threatens to claw Christian's eyes out so he can marry the prince. 

George backs out of the room slowly and quietly to not get involved with the twins. George is almost done with his chores, just one last fireplace to clean before he can get ready himself. He's halfway through scrubbing it when he remembers he didn't actually finish the alterations to his mother's dress. Helmut won't let him go even if he does finish if his dress isn't up to his standards. Maybe it's better this way, he thinks, furiously scrubbing the old fireplace. If he doesn't go to the ball, he won't see Alex and therefore saves him from being tarnished by George, and if he doesn't go, there is no chance of him accidentally running into Lando. 

When George finishes, he all but runs up the flights of stairs to get to his bedroom. And when he arrives, he's shocked at what he finds. His window is open, lighting up the room in that golden hour glow and there on his bed is his mother's dress. It's been altered to be more up-to-date and fit George's body. Kevin and Romain sit perched on his windowsill, chirping softly. Daniel, Charles, and Pierre are there as well. Before he has the chance to wonder how or why the grandfather clock downstairs reminds him he's on a time crunch. 

Just like everything else he did today, he bathes quickly. Scrubbing his dirty body and hair, trying to look his best. He already fuck things up with Lando, but maybe he can apologize tonight if he sees him. He's thinking about all the ways he can say I'm sorry when he sees himself in the mirror. Even with the soft pink dress and his clean hair and face, George still looks like George. He looks unworthy. Alex works in the castle, and Lando works for his father; both of them are probably wearing incredibly beautiful outfits. Meanwhile, this old dress hastily thrown together was the best George could do. 

He sits down on his bed and tries not to cry. This was his night off, his time to feel special, but instead, he feels inadequate. He feels like an imposter. Like no matter what he does, he will never be good enough. Have courage and be kind. He already lost his kindness, but it looks like tonight, this mirror, is what breaks his courage. 

George sits on the bed for a while, trying to decide if he should even bother going down. It would be his first night off, but after sitting and picking at his dress, he has a sinking feeling that Helmut won't let him go anyway. The annoying-ass grandfather clock helpfully reminds him of the time. He takes a deep breath and begins the descent down the stairs. Have courage and be kind; the worst thing Helmut can do is say no. The twins may laugh, but he once had to cut Mattia out of a dress because it was too small and had to physically push Christian through a door because his dress was too large for the door frame. 

The twins were standing by Helmut's side when he got to the entryway. All waiting for the carriage to arrive. They turn around at the creek of the last step, all seem surprised to see him, but before he can even begin to say he's ready, the twins burst out laughing. George feels self-conscious again but focuses on Helmut. He's giving George a once-over judgment clear in his eyes as he takes in George's appearance. 

"And just what are you wearing?" Helmut asks, disgust clear in his voice. 

"It was my mother's old dress. I made some alterations to it," George keeps his voice steady, ready to defend himself when Helmut comes up to him, taking a closer look at his dress. 

"This old rag, why George, it's practically falling apart," He says, then rips the sleeve of George's dress. George lets out a gasp, horrified that Helmut would do that, his eyes wide and mouth open as he realizes Helmut never had any intention of letting him go to the ball. The twins laugh loudly, rushing forward to rip and pull at George's dress, mocking him for being stupid enough to think that he was good enough to go to the ball with them. George tries to back away to get away from their grabby hands, but he falls backward onto the stairs. The boys back away, still laughing; George even thinks he sees tears in Mattia's eyes from laughing so hard. 

"Christian, can you believe dumb little George here thought he could actually come with us?" Mattia asks through giggles. 

Christain is doubled over, holding his stomach still laughing, "As is dirty, soot-covered George was ever going to be good enough. Mattia, how funny, he can add delusional to the list of things wrong with him." George doesn't react to the cruel words just stays there on the stairs watching Helmut. 

Mattia finally stops laughing and gets an almost concerned look on his face, "George, when are you going to realize that no matter what you do, how well you clean up, you will never ever be anything more than an unwanted, useless, ugly, stupid orphan. Nobody wants you even that boy you call a friend is just around because he pities you. Life will get a lot better when you wrap your head around that, then maybe you'll stop making a fool of yourself for even trying." 

George bits down on the inside of his cheek, forcing himself not to show any emotion. They don't need another reason to make fun of him. His insides twist as what Mattia says sinks in, another voice telling him he's nothing, that he isn't worthy of time and attention, that Lando was never truly his friend. George keeps looking at Helmut. He knows Helmut is going to say something, always has to get the last word in, has to be the one to deliver the final blow. 

Helmut slowly makes his way over to George and stands over him, making George feel even smaller but refusing to give him that satisfaction. "I don't know what you expected; I suppose your mother is to blame for putting these fantasies in your head instead of the reality you live in. She was just like you, dumb and naive, Have a lovely evening, George, we'll be sure to say hello to that boy of yours," and with that, Helmut turned away and left with the boys trailing behind him leaving George broken on the stairs. 

George couldn't breathe. His chest aches as he sits in a tattered dress crumpled on the floor. Picking himself up is hard, but he can't stay here. He can't break down here. He moves through the house blindly, trying to stop the tears. He feels the cold air hit his face as he stumbles out of the house and into the farm. He tramples the flowers as he goes to his old hiding spot when Lando and he would play hide and seek as kids. It was behind the fountain near the vegetable garden, no longer in use and covered in ivy. He all but collapses near it as he covers his face crying. 

"I'm sorry, mom," he says in between tears and heaving breaths, "I'm so sorry, but I can't do it. I've lost my courage and kindness. I tried so hard, but I'm exhausted, mom. I messed everything up, and now I've lost Lando too. It's like everything keeps slipping through my fingers. Helmut can't be a right mom! He just can't! I'm not useless and a waste of space, but I keep ruining everything I touch. I'm sorry I broke my promise. I just wish you were here."

George sobs into his arms, wishing his mom was here. She would know what to do and how to help him. But once again, George is alone without anyone in his corner or here to help him. 

"Excuse me, sir?" George's head snapped up at the sound of another person. When George turned around to see who had called for him, he saw an older gentleman in tattered clothes covered in dirt. George got up slowly, wiping away his tears. 

"Can you spare some bread for me? I'm terribly hungry," The man asked, and while George may not have much anymore what he did have, he shared, nobody deserves to go hungry.

"Yes, one second, I think we should have some food around, come with me; I can make you something, and you can take the bread when you go," George says, making his way to the kitchen. Maybe I still have my kindness, he thinks. The old man follows George into the kitchen and thanks George when he hands him a bowl of soup. After he finishes, he just looks at George before asking, "And what are you doing here in this house? Hmm, I thought there was a big party at the castle?" 

George smiles sadly, knowing the man meant no harm, "As you can see, I'm not really dressed for a palace ball," he gestures to his ripped-up dress. 

"Oh well, George, I can fix that, don't you worry," the man says, getting up from the small table in the kitchen. He then looks to the clock on the wall, "We must hurry, though. Come along, George," He says, heading back into the garden, leaving George to wonder what he was talking about and how he knew George's name. 

"Wait! Sir, how did you know my name? And how are you going to help me? I don't suppose you have a new dress hiding under that cloak of yours?" George asks, trying to keep up with the man currently wandering around his garden looking for something. 

The man turns around and says, "Well, George, I'm Toto, your fairy godparent." He then goes back to searching his garden like he didn't just say something crazy. He pulls out one of the pumpkins and places it in by the fountain mumbling something about a wand patting his pockets. 

He seems to find it and then turns back to George, "Here, let me show you," He taps himself with his stick, wand, whatever, and George's mouth drops open. In place of Toto, the old man in a tattered cloak stands Toto George's apparent fairy godparent wearing a baby blue and white suit with a matching cape to cover his shoulders. 

"As for how I'm going to help you, have you ever used magic before?" Toto asks, grinning. 

He turns back towards the pumpkin, points his wand at it, and says, "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo." The pumpkin then turns into a beautiful carriage right in front of George's eyes. Toto turns around and smiles at George. 

"I think what I need next is in your farm," Toto says, walking towards the barn. Daniel, Charles, and Pierre scurry across the beams when Toto and George walk into the barn. They run down to George, and he places them on his shoulder. Toto seems to be searching for who knows what else, but he lights up when he sees Kevin and Romain sitting near the window. George whistles Lando's tune to them to get their attention, ignoring the slight pain in his chest as he does so. They fly over to them, and Toto leads them all back to the vegetable garden and the pumpkin carriage. 

George sets the mice down as Kevin and Romain settle on the edge of the fountain. He turns to Toto and waits to see what he does next. 

"We have a carriage but nothing to pull it. Do you think Charles, Daniel, and Pierre are ready to become your horses?" George laughs as his three friends run around the garden, definitely not wanting to become horses, but Toto has his wand out, and next thing he knows, George's carriage now has three beautiful horses attached to it. Toto then looks to Kevin and Romain, who seem to accept their fate, whatever that may be. 

"Now we need a coachman and footman," The birds transform into George's coachman, and the footman and Toto begins to move George closer to the carriage. 

"Okay, in you go, you have a ball to get to," Toto says. 

"Wait! Toto, I can't go dressed like this," George says in a quiet voice. 

"How could I forget!" Toto says, surprised that he had forgotten that George can't show up in a dress that is all but ripped to pieces. 

Toto gave George a once over tilting his head to the side, clearly thinking of what George should wear. He felt a little self-conscious with Toto looking at him, thinking he wasn't worthy of all this. After all, no amount of magic could ever hide the fact that George was a farmhand and servant, he thought. But then Toto smiled, "How do you feel about blue?"

George grinned, and with a flick of Toto's wrist, George was now standing in the middle of the vegetable garden wearing the most beautiful dress he had ever seen. It was a huge royal blue ball gown that fit him perfectly.  
"Just one more thing, and then you'll be on your way," Toto says. George is slightly confused. He has a dress and a ride to the castle. What more could he need. Toto seemed to see his confusion and elaborates, "Shoes, George. I can't let you go barefoot or in those slippers of yours. You look like a prince, and you should have shoes to match."

He points at George's bare feet, having lost his shoes when he ran outside to the fountain. When George looks down again, they are clad in beautiful glass slippers. Toto helps George into the carriage, but before setting him on his way, he says one last thing, "All good things must come to an end George. You have until the final sound of the final stroke of midnight before the magic wears off, and everything will be as it was."

"Midnight? That is more than enough time. Thank you, Toto, for everything," George says, hardy believing he has that much time. Toto smiles and disappears as George's magical carriage is sent on its way to the castle. 

It's only when they arrive that George realized a few things: he doesn't have an invitation, he doesn't even know if Alex or Lando are here, and Helmut and the twins are definitely here. None of that matters, though when the carriage door is opened, and he's being helped down by Kevin, who is supposed to be a bird. He takes a deep breath; this is your night, he thinks, enjoy it consequences be damned. 

The ballroom is loud when he enters but quiets immediately, everyone staring at the latecomer. George makes his way down the grand staircase, trying to find Alex and Lando. He spots King Lewis and the grand duke Sebastian up in a box, watching everything from up high but still no sight of the two people he wants to see, aches to see. 

He finally finishes his descent of the stairs, happy that he didn't trip and fall in front of everyone. When he looks up again, he sees them across the room. Alex is wearing a white suit that hugs him just right, making him look like the angel he is, and right by his side is Lando. Lando is wearing a beautiful forest green dress, big and grand, just like George's. They look good together, he thinks, and he almost starts to make his way over to them but stops. He remembers Helmut's words, that just because he's all dressed up, he will never be good enough for them. He already ruined Lando, but now is not the time for an apology. He is with sweet, beautiful Alex, and George wishes he was bitter, but he isn't. He hopes they are happy together that they make each other happy because that's all George wants, their happiness even if it doesn't include him. 

Suddenly feeling very out of place, he begins to move to the sides of the room, hoping to avoid everyone he knows and just enjoy the night, not wanting to let the magic go to waste. But before he gets further away, someone gently touches his wrist. It's Alex. 

"George, it's good to see you. I wasn't sure you'd be coming." Alex says, still gently holding his wrist. Lando is behind him, holding his hand, so George smiles softly and pulls his wrist away from Alex. 

"I wasn't sure I was going to come either, but I'm glad I did. You guys are cute together. I'm happy for you," and with that, George walks away from them, unaware that everyone was watching. 

"George, please," Lando says quietly, making George pause. He turns back around to see their sad faces, but George knows it's for the best. They deserve to be happy together where George can't put his unclean hands on them and dim their light. 

He smiles back at Lando to show there are no hard feelings, "I'm happy for you, Lando, and I'm sorry about what I said at your office." This time he makes a successful escape into the crowd as damsels move towards Lando and Alex. He ducks behind a pillar when he sees Mattia and Christian scanning the room for Helmut. A pair of arms wrap around his waist, and he jumps in surprise. Lando keeps holding him even though George is trying to pull away and stay hidden at the same time, but Lando wasn't having it. 

"Lando, let go of me. I'm sorry for what I said; it was rude of me, especially after everything you've done for me. And I'm glad you met Alex, he's truly a wonderful guy, and he's an apprentice. He'll be good for you, Lando now, please let go of me," George says, still trying to pry Lando's hands off of him, but Lando, if anything, holds on tighter. 

"George, I forgive you okay, I know you didn't mean it, and while it did hurt, I know why you said it and why you ran away. But you need to listen to me carefully, Alex is the Prince, George, and we aren't together. The whole time we were talking, we spoke about you!" George stops struggling as Lando's words sink in. Alex is the prince. George just rejected the prince at a ball specifically for him to find a spouse in front of pretty much the entire kingdom. 

"Oh," he says, still unable to wrap his head around what this night has been. 

"Oh, is right, George! Now go and see Alex; he wants to dance with you," Lando says and lets him go pushing him in the direction of Alex. George has to throw a few elbows, but when Alex sees him, he starts pushing too, and they meet in the middle. George is about to say something when the music starts playing. Everyone scatters to the sides, leaving the middle of the ballroom open. 

Alex bows to him and holds out his hand, "Can I have this dance?" 

George smiles and allows Alex to place his hand on his waist as George places his on Alex's shoulder. George learned how to dance as a little kid, and he just hopes that he remembers some steps and doesn't mess up too bad. His dress covers his feet, so as long as he doesn't stumble or step on Alex, he should be okay. The music is pretty, and Alex seems to know what to do, so he just follows his lead. They make their way around the room, and everyone is staring at them. He tries to pay them no mind, focusing on how Alex is looking at him, holding him. 

"Everyone is looking at you," He says to Alex, but Alex just giggles, "Trust me, it's not me they're looking at."

George is happy to let Alex spin him around the room until he remembers that Helmut can definitely see him right now. He must have a panicked expression on his face because he can see the concern shining in Alex's eyes. 

"Are you alright?" he asks quietly. Before speaking, George thinks for a moment, "I just need to speak to Lando after this." Alex nods as they finish their dance. 

When the song ends, everyone floods the dancefloor, either looking for a dance partner or the prince. Alex is still holding his hand as they dodge people's grabby hands, trying to escape the chaos. George sees Lando on the edge of the room, making his way towards them. George reaches out to grab him as they make their way to a door near the back of the room. They rush over there and sneak through the door and away from the ball. 

They are all giggling as they run through the castle, Alex leading the way until they reach the gardens. They slow into a walk listening to the sounds of the night. They can hear the music coming from the ball, but it's faint, unlike the sounds of the crickets and frogs in the garden. George doesn't know where they are going, but he trusts Alex, and he has Lando by his side. 

Eventually, they reach a doorway in the middle of the gardens, but before they go in, Alex tells them he's never shown this to anyone. Inside holds a secret garden within the larger garden grounds. There's a pond in the corner and a huge tree with a swing attached to it. Like the gremlin he is, Lando moves as quickly as he can to the swing and demands to be pushed. Alex and George laugh but push him anyway. 

They all trade turns on the swing laughing and smiling and enjoying each other's company. Lando and George share childhood memories with Alex, and he shares some of his in return. At one point, George is laughing so hard sitting on the swing that his shoe comes off. 

Alex bends down to grab it and laughs, "A glass slipper," George blushes as Lando holds the swing steady, and Alex puts the shoe on his foot for him. They keep messing around with each other in the little garden. They even find out that they can fit two on the swing at the same time. 

George is so caught up in having Lando and Alex by his side he doesn't even notice the time. He was sitting on the swing with Lando in his lap when he heard it. 

The clock strikes midnight, and the bells begin to chime. 

George freezes at first but then is up and moving. He stands up, forgetting Lando is sitting on him, causing him to fall on the ground, but George has to go. Why am I always running, George thinks, making his way through the garden and back to the castle. He can hear both the boys calling his name. 

"I'm so sorry I have to go!" he yells over his shoulder, pushing the door to the castle open. He moves quickly, trying to remember which way to go, still hearing the chiming of the bells. He finally pushes the correct door open and spills into the ballroom, Alex, and Lando right behind him. They get lost in the crowd as George ducks and weaves through the mess of people as Alex is caught in all the attention with Lando beside him. 

George races up the stairs looking over his shoulder when he runs into someone. George is quick to whisper an apology, but he knows he messed up when he sees the person he ran into was King Lewis, Alex's dad. 

"I'm so sorry, sir; I wasn't looking where I was going. Alex is a wonderful man; you should be very proud," George says, slightly out of breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Alex and Lando have pretty much made their way to the stairs. He yells another apology as he runs down the main hallway to the front door. 

George is halfway down the stairs when Alex and Lando finally catch up to him, both out of breath from chasing him, but George can't have much time left with the magic. He's almost at the bottom when he loses one is his glass slippers. George whispers a fuck before going to grab it when he sees how close the other two are to him. Fuck it, he thinks, it's going to disappear when the magic wears off and continues to his carriage. 

He practically flings himself into the carriage yelling at them to go. He can see the disappointment on their faces as George leaves. He sees Alex bend over to pick up his shoe once again, but George isn't there this time. 

The clock is still ringing by the time he leaves the palace. Either that clock had the world's longest chimes, or Toto added in a few extra ones so he could make his escape. George once again feels bad about leaving this way, but he knows there will be hell to pay when he gets home. He doesn't know what Helmut will do, but he knows it won't be good. He thinks of Lando and Alex again, like he so often does, and wonders what they are doing. If they are mad at him or if Lando explained to Alex the situation with Helmut. If they want nothing to do with him after he left them again. George keeps replaying the night over and over in his head. It was wonderful and magical, and George wants nothing more than to be able to do it again. 

He's broken out of his thoughts by the sound of trumpets, the ones he heard in the woods on the day he met Alex. He sees members of the royal guard on horses, and he knows they are following him. But the magic is wearing off so, by the time they finally reach George, he is hiding in the bushes with the mice in his hands, and the birds are in the trees. 

He walks the rest of the way home in his ruined pink dress, Kevin and Romain flying ahead but staying close. Daniel, Charles, and Pierre are all resting in his glass slipper that stayed even though the magic had worn off. When he gets inside, he sits at the table where Toto had sat a few hours ago. George smiles and cradles the slipper close to his chest; at least he will always have this and his memories to keep him company. He hears a carriage pull up, and George scrambles to hide the shoe. He rushes over to the fireplace and buries it in the soot. He then puts some of it over his face and dress thinking he may be able to trick Helmut and the twins into thinking he was here all night and not the ball. 

The door slams shut, and he can hear the twins complaining about how they first had to fight for the prince's attention with a boy in a green dress, and then some loser in a blue dress came along and stole him too. George smiles and allows himself a moment to really hope they didn't recognize him. 

Helmut calls for him but doesn't say anything about wondering where he was all night or if he knew anything about the ball; he just told him to make some tea. He does what he's told, and when he brings the teapot and teacups to them, they ignore him like usual. Just when George thinks he got away with it, Helmut calls his name again, "Now tell me, George, what did you do with your night off?" 

Before he can answer, Christian, lets out a laugh, "look at him, he clearly spent all night crying himself to sleep by the fire," He was so wrong, but George couldn't let him know that.

He could hear them laughing about him when he left but back in the kitchen, he let himself dream of what could have been. He thinks of what his life would be like with Alex and Lando by his side. He would be able to leave this place and Helmut behind. He could follow his dreams of being an author. His life would be filled with joy and happiness. But those are just dreams, and George lives in reality. He falls asleep by the fireplace, head filled with dreams and memories. 

In the morning, he removes the shoe and tries to clean it off before heading upstairs to hide it somewhere safer. Helmut and the boys never come up to his room, so it's the safest place he can think to keep it. There is a loose floorboard that he keeps a few things that he wants to keep extra hidden, so he pries the floorboard up and gently places the glass slipper in there. He then covers it with a few of the other things in there and places the floorboard back on top of it. 

He moves silently through the house to the farm and begins doing his normal chores. He's halfway through milking the cows when he hears Lando's whistle. He whistles back, not even caring if Helmut knows because he needs to see Lando. He runs out of the barn and throws himself at Lando, wrapping his arms around him and knocking him to the ground. 

"George," Lando wheezes out, "I can't breathe." George gets off of him and leads him into the barn. Before he can explain why he left or how he got the dress, Lando kisses him. It was soft and quick but so sweet. 

"I love you," Lando says, "I love you, and I love Alex, and I know you do too. Please, George, just come with me to the castle, so they call this whole search off."

George can hardly wrap his head around all the information Lando was throwing at him. He loves George and Alex, he wants George to leave with him, and the royal soldiers are looking for him. 

"Wait, what are you talking about, Lando? The royal soldiers are looking for me? You love Alex and me? What is going on?" George asks. Lando just shook his head, "It doesn't matter. I just need you to come with me. Please, George, I will explain everything later and so do you. I don't know how you got the dress and glass slippers, but you can tell me later we absolutely need to go now!" Lando says, pulling on his arm. 

"Okay, okay, I'm coming, but I need to get the other glass slipper. It's in my room. I'll meet you by the tree. I'll be so quick, Lando, but I need that shoe," George replies. He wants nothing more than to run away with Lando, but he can't leave that shoe here. He can't let Helmut get his hands on it. 

"Hurry, George, I wasn't kidding. The King made a royal decree, every damsel will try on the glass slipper, and whoever the shoe fits will marry the prince or like date him or whatever. But they have been out all night, George, and if they come here, you know what will happen," George knows exactly what will happen. Helmut would find a way to ruin it for him, probably destroy the glass slipper and force George to be his servant forever, keeping him away from Lando and Alex. 

George places a kiss on Lando's lips and runs inside. He moves quickly, but when he reaches his room, Helmut is there. George stops breathing. Helmut can't know, but the evidence suggests otherwise. He isn't holding the glass slipper, and he doesn't see glass on the floor so, George hopes it's still hidden. Helmut moves from where he's standing by the window, walking closer to George. 

His eyes trace the room searching for something, the glass slipper more than likely. He then looks at George, "So, we both know you weren't home last night; let's stop lying to each other to save some time. We also both know that the royal guards will be here soon to have every damsel in this house try on that glass slipper that was left behind. I'm only going to ask this once, George, where is the other glass slipper?" 

George's heart drops. He takes care not to let his eyes flick down to the loose floorboard; he can't let Helmut have it. Have courage and be kind. He swallows and says, "We both know I was at the ball, but I don't have the other glass slipper. You can search the room, you can search the whole house. I don't have it." 

Helmut doesn't seem to like that answer, but before he says anything, he calms down, "Okay, I will search the house, but until I do, you aren't going anywhere. You will never see those boys again, and you will rot in here for what you did." Helmut slammed the door to his room shut and locked it with a key, leaving George alone and trapped. There is no other way out, and he's too far up to even think about climbing down on a tree or the side of the house. 

He collapses on the floor and begins to cry. He was so close to getting away. He was so close to getting his happy ending far away from here. He can't get out of this hell, he bangs on the door, but it's no use. No one can hear him but the people who trapped him here. He rushes to the window when he hears the trumpets of the royal soldiers. He can see the party of people coming towards the house. He can see the palace and wonders if Alex is there or out with the soldiers looking for him. Lando must know something is wrong by now; he should have met him at the tree by now. 

Lando is his only hope. Lando must know he's trapped somewhere in this house, and if he tells Alex, they'll come to find him! But that's only if Lando meets up with Alex, and if he's still waiting for George by the tree, he may not be able to tell Alex before they leave. He pushes open the window, searching for Lando or Alex. He has to get their attention. 

He can hear people moving around downstairs and their muffled voices. Then the sound of something breaking and Christain's screaming it fits, it fits you blind ass motherfucker! More scuffling and then Mattia yelling it's mine! Give it back! It fits me! 

George shuts them out and just looks at the sky. It's a beautiful day, and he whistles Lando's tune. He hears the birds carry the message across the land echoing and chirping all the way. He hopes Lando will understand why he wasn't there to meet him, and he hopes if something happens before they find him that Lando and Alex are safe and happy. 

George keeps whistling to comfort himself. Lando created the tune when they were kids as a way to get the other's attention after Claire told them they were too loud. It was just his and Lando's. Maybe Lando will teach Alex the tune after George is gone. He hopes he does; Alex deserves to know it.

He long since stopped listening to the noise downstairs when the door behind him opens and Sebastian, the grand duke, is there with Helmut. Sebastian smiles, "We heard you whistling; we have a shoe for you to try on per royal decree."

George wipes away the tears and walks away from the window staying close to Sebastian. When he gets downstairs, he sees Alex and Lando in the room, along with another person holding his glass slipper on a pillow. Alex and Lando smile at him, but they wait to hug him. They need to do this properly. Sebastian begins to read the royal decree, but George is only looking at Lando and Alex. If he was paying more attention to Helmut, he would have seen what happened next.

The man holding the glass slipper is tripped by Helmut, and he drops the slipper. It shatters on impact leaving bits of glass on the floor. 

"Well," Helmut says, ignoring everyone's horrified expressions, "now that the glass slipper is shattered, we have no way of knowing if this boy is the one you are looking for, so I ask that you leave my property immediately and never come back," Helmut finishes, looking satisfied. 

"Actually, sir, I have the other. Alex, Lando, will you come with Sebastian and me to get it? It's upstairs in my room," George says, not taking his eyes off of Helmut. He looked stunned, like he can't believe George lied to him and pulled it off.  


Helmut is enraged. He moves towards George with his hands up, "Why, you miserable little shit!" He yells as soldiers rush forward to hold him back. George isn't afraid, though; he just keeps moving towards the staircase.

The three of them follow George up to his room and watch him pry the loose board up. He gathers all the things in his hiding spot, including the glass slipper. He has no intention of ever coming back to this place. 

When they get back downstairs, Helmut and the twins are being held back by some soldiers. Before they leave, Alex asks if he can help him put the shoe on. George just smiles and places his hand on Lando's shoulder to steady himself as Alex gets down on one knee. He looks up at George and Lando and then slides the glass slipper on his foot. A perfect fit. 

George leaves with Alex and Lando, never looking back at Helmut or the twins or the house he grew up in that turned into his prison. 

"I love you," He says to them both, "I love you both so much." They both smile, and George kisses them, Alex, and then Lando. They were his boys, and he loved them. George found his courage and kindness again, keeping the promise he made to his mom. He looked up at the sky and blew a kiss up for her. He walked in between Alex and Lando, holding tight to their hands as they made their way to the castle, leaving the past behind. He sees Kevin and Romain flying above them, and Daniel, Charles, and Pierre are in Lando's suit pocket. He's got his boys and his little friends, and he is ready for the next chapter in his life. 

And they lived happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> -


End file.
